Valve



F. E. LUMLEY VALVE Filed Feb. 25, 1924 gin 00 141 oz Patented Dec. 16,1924.

FRANK E. LUMLEY, 0F OMAHA, NEBRASKA. X

VALVE.

Application filed February 23, 1924. Serial No. 694,761.

To all whom it mar concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK E. LUMLEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Valves, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The present invention relates to valves and has more particularreference to that type which is shown as a release valve in suction orvacuum type lines.

An object of this invention is to provide certain improvements in therelease valve which is shown in my Patent No. 1,455,116 granted May 15,1923. It has been found that the spring shown in the valve as disclosedby my prior patent is free to rotate and become loose by the automaticworking of the valve, and it is one of the objects of this invention toprevent this unscrewing or rotation of the valve and to provide a screento prevent dirt, dust and other accumulations from entering the valvewhile the same is open for the admission of air.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for supplying alubricant to the valve plunger to insure the tight seating of theplunger when the valve is closed so as to maintain an air tight jointbetween the valve and its seat and to prevent undue wear upon therelatively moving parts.

The invention has for a further object to provide a valve possessing theabove characteristics and which at the same time may be economicallymanufactured and easily and quickly assembled and installed, and onewhich may be used in connection with various other vacuum or suctionsystems than were disclosed in my prior patent.

\Vith the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will bemore fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointedout in the claims appended hereto. j a

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or correspondingparts througliout the several views, 7

Figure 1 is a vertical section taken through a release valve constructedaccord-v ing to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is a transverse section through the upper end of the valvetaken substantially on the line 3-3 in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a detail plan view of the dust screen employed.

Figure 5 is a top plan View of the valve piston or plunger employed.

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the same.

I; igure 7 is a plan view of the oil pad used, anc

Figure 8 is a plan view of the packing ring against which the valve isadapted to seat.

Referring to the drawing 10 designates the valve casing or cylinderwhich is of suitable diameter and'length and which is externallythreaded upon its lower end as at 11 to be screwed into a tank, a pipeor any other suitable element of a vacuum or suction pipe line. Thecylinder 10, at its intermediate portion, is reduced in diameter toprovide a neck 12 and a seating shoulder 13 at the juncture between thebody of the cylinder 10 and the neck 12 the shoulder 13 being annularand facing downwardly.

The upper end of the neck 12 is enlarged to provide a cylindrical cup orreceptacle 1 1 which forms an upwardly facing shoulder 15 adapted tosupport a dust screen 16 which extends over the upper end of the neck 12and excludes dust, dirt and other accumulations from entering the neckand the cylinder. The screen 16 supports an annular pad 17 of absorbentmaterial adapted to be saturated with oil or the like so that airpassing downwardly through the neck 12 is first charged with a quantityof oil and carries the oil down through the screen 16 neck 12 and in thebody ofrthe cylinder 10. Fitting in the cylinder is,a valve head orplunger 18 in the form of a cylindrical block provided on its lower endwith a seating flange 19 of greater diameter than the neck 12 andadapted to seat upwardly against the 9 shoulder 13 when the block 18 israised. The flange 19 is adapted to carry a compres sion ring 20 ofrubber or other suitable material which may be impinged against theshoulder 13 and compressed for sealing the passage about the lower endof the block 18. As the plunger or valve head 18 is moved downwardly itis designed to increase the size of the passage or opening through thevalve, and for this purpose, the cylindrical block orvalve 18 isprovided with vertical flutes 21 whichtaper downwardly and which open attheir larger base ends through the top of the block. By these fluteswith their flaring upper ends, the further down the block 18 isadvanced, the wider is the passage about the shoulder 13 for admittingair to the lower end ofthe cylinder 10. p

The cup 14 of the cylinder carries an upstanding frame 22 which providesside rails upon which slide the oppositely extending forks 23 of anadjusted bar 24. forming the upper portion of a spring receiving frame25, the frame being rectangular and extending downwardly from the bar 24within the frame 22-. The bar 24 has a threaded stem 26 upon its upperside which projects through the top of the frame 22 and which receivesan adjusting nut 27, preferably of the wing type for raising andlowering the frame 25-. I

As shown in Figures 1 and 3, a frame 25 carries therein a cross head 28which is forked at opposite ends to fit sides of the frame 25 so as toguide the cross head 28 in its vertical movement. The cross head 28 ismountedupon the upper end of a valve stem 29 which is screwed orotherwise suitably secured in the top of the valve or block 18 so thatthe cross head 28 moves with the block. A helical spring 30 is alacedabout the valve stem 29: within the frame 25 and between the bottom ofthe frame and the under side of the cross head 28 for .yieldingly urgingthe block 18 up ward. I

The spring 30 therefore merely maintains the valve 18 closed and thetension on the valve maybe varied by raising the cross bar 24v to moreor less compress the spring 30. It will be noted that the cross head 28cannot turn in the frame 25, and the frame 25 cannot turn in the upperframe 22 on account of the forks 23 of the cross bar 24 slidably fittingthe side portions of the frame 22. I v

In operation, when the device is in use the winged nut 27 is turned downupon the threaded stem or rod 26 to an extent sufficient to place thespring 30 under the desired tension. When suction in the lower end ofthe cylinder 10' becomes suflicient to overcome the tension of thespring 30, the valve 18 is drawn outwardly and the air is admittedthrough the cup 1 1- past the valve 18 into the suction line to anextent dependent upon the proportion I of downward movement of the valve18. The air in passing downwardly through the cup ".4 first is drawnthrough the relatively large opening in the annular pad 17 and absorbs aquantity of the oil contained in the pad and carries this oil downwardlythrough the screen 16 and through the fluted opening 21 to thecompressible gasket 20 and valve seat 13. The screen 16 catchesparticles of dust and other foriegn substance and prevents the same fromreaching thevalve seat.

The compressible ring or gasket 20 is thus oiled and a film of oil ismaintained upon the valve seat 13 and the ring so that the spring 30 issufficient for maintaining a tight sealing of the valve 18 against theshoulder 13. I do not wish to be restricted to the size, form, andproportions of the various parts, and obviously changes. could be madein the construction herein described without departing from the spiritof the invention, it being only necessary that such changes fall withinthe scope of the appended claims. j j i What isclaimed is:

1. In a release valve for vacuum systems, a cylinder having a downwardlyfacing shoulder, a valve in the cylinder having an upwardly facingseating portion, a

frame carried by the casing, an inner frame slidably mounted on theouter frame and held thereby from turning, a cross head mounted in theinner frame arranged to slide therein and held thereby from turning, aspring in the inner frame between the same and the cross head, and meansfor raising and lowering the inner frame upon the outer frame.v

2. In a release valve for vacuum cleaning systems, a casing, an upwardlyseating valve mounted in the casing, a cross head connected to thevalve, a spring engaging. beneath the cross head, an inner frameenclosing the spring and engaging the other end thereof to exertpressure against the cross head for seating the valve, an outer frame,means connecting the inner and outer frames for tensioning the innerframe against the spring, and means upon the cross head and the innerframe for maintaining said cross head and said inner and outer framesfrom relative turning.

3. In a release valve, a casing enlarged at its upper and lower ends, avalve block mounted in the intermediate portion of the casing and havingan enlarged flange .engaging in the larger lower end of the casing andadapted to seat upwardly thereagainst for sealing the casing againstdownward passage of air, a screen seated in the upper end of the casingfor screening air passage therethrough, an oil paol mounted in the upperend of the casing on the screen for supplying oil to the air passingoutwardly through the casing, anv outer frame fixed to the casing, aninner frame slidable upon the outer frame and held from turning Intestimony whereof, I have affixed my therein, a cross head in the innerframe held signature in presence of two witnesses. from turning therein,a eonnection between FRANK E. LUMLEY. the cross head and said valveblock, and a 5 spring between the cross head and the inner Vitnesses:

frame for normally elevating the valve ARTHUR H. STURGES, block. HIRAMA. STURGES.

